Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a belt, an image forming unit, a first roller configured to form a transfer portion where the toner image is transferred from the belt to a recording material, a second roller disposed upstream of the first roller, a pressing member disposed upstream of the first roller and downstream of the second roller, a guide member disposed upstream of the transfer portion, and a connecting member configured to electrically connect the guide member and the pressing member to each other.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a fixing unit including a heater; a bidirectional thyristor for supplying electric power form an AC power source to the heater in a conduction state and for cutting off supply of the electric power from the AC power source to the heater in a non-conduction state; a control unit for outputting a control signal for controlling the conductive state or the non-conduction state of the bidirectional thyristor; and a DC voltage source for supplying electric power for conduction of the bidirectional thyristor by the control signal outputted from the control unit. The control unit controls the heater in a predetermined control cycle on a one half-wave unit basis of an AC voltage of the AC power source. The control unit outputs a plurality of control signals in one half-wave of the AC voltage.

Abstract: There are provided a video projecting structure, which is capable of having not only transparency but also high visibility of a video, a process for producing the same, and a video display system including the video projection structure.

Abstract: An integrated sensor for detecting gases present in an environment is provided. The integrated sensor comprises a first gas sensor and a second gas sensor. The first gas sensor is configured to measure a first gas and the second gas sensor is configured to measure a second gas. The first gas is different from the second gas. The first gas sensor is an optical sensor and defines an optical cavity. The second gas sensor is disposed within the optical cavity of the first gas sensor.

Abstract: A measurement method includes: a step of acquiring, based on observation information obtained by an observation device, first observation point information including a time point when each of a plurality of parts of a moving object passes a first observation point of a structure and a physical quantity which is a response to an action of each of the plurality of parts on the first observation point; a step of acquiring, based on the observation information, second observation point information including a time point when each of the plurality of parts passes a second observation point and a physical quantity which is a response to an action of each of the plurality of parts on the second observation point; a step of calculating, based on the first observation point information, the second observation point information, a predetermined coefficient, and an approximate expression of deflection of the structure, a deflection waveform of the structure generated by each of the plurality of parts; and a step of calc

Abstract: A measurement method includes: a step of acquiring first observation point information including a time point when each part of a moving object passes a first observation point and a physical quantity which is a response to an action; a step of acquiring second observation point information including a time point when the each part passes a second observation point and a physical quantity which is a response to an action; a step of calculating a deflection waveform of a structure generated by the each part; a step of adding the deflection waveforms to calculate a moving object deflection waveform, and calculating a path deflection waveform based on the moving object deflection waveform; a step of calculating a displacement waveform by twice integrating an acceleration of a third observation point; and a step of calculating, based on the path deflection waveform, a value of each coefficient of a polynomial approximating an integration error, and correcting the displacement waveform based on the value of each c

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to camera mounts and cameras implementable in mounting-restricted environments. The camera mount may comprise a bracket and an optional cover, wherein the bracket may be configured to mount to a surface and the bracket configured to protect the camera. The bracket may include a mounting portion, an angled portion and an adjustment portion, which each may be configured to angle the camera relative to the surface. The mounting component may be configured to include a clearance portion that may facilitate angling the camera. The angled portion may be configured to be a wedge angled relative to the surface. The adjusting portion may be pivotable around an axis parallel to the surface such that in combination, the adjusting portion and the angled portion may facilitate the positioning of the camera to include a viewing angle that may vary up to 65°.

Abstract: A cleaning apparatus includes a plate shaped cleaner that comes into contact with a belt shaped member that rotates supported by a roller in a position not opposed to the roller in a surface on an opposite side of a surface where the roller comes into contact with the belt shaped member, wherein the plate shaped cleaner cleans the surface of the belt shaped member, and a hardware processor. The hardware processor obtains an amount of use of the plate shaped cleaner for each belt tension state in the belt shaped member in which the belt tension state is switched. The hardware processor sets a replacement determination timing of the plate shaped cleaner based on the obtained amount of use of the plate shaped cleaner.

Abstract: An optical article for illuminating building interiors including a reflective grid panel, an LED light source positioned above the reflective grid panel and configured to illuminate the reflective grid panel at incidence angles ranging from a minimum angle of 0° to a maximum angle of at least 45°, a light diffusing sheet of an optically transmissive dielectric material approximately coextensive with and oriented generally parallel to the reflective grid panel, and a pair of reflective side walls flanking a space between the reflective grid panel and the light diffusing sheet. The reflective grid panel incorporates a plurality of parallel longitudinal walls and a plurality of parallel transverse walls joining the walls and defining a plurality of rectangular openings configured to transmit light.

Abstract: A method of bearing fault detection including measuring a signal of torsional energy transfer from a rotating device to a non-rotating device at a distance away from the rotating device, calculating a health status of the rotating device based on a comparison of the measured signal to a baseline signal, and calculating a remaining useful life of the rotating device.

Abstract: A fixing apparatus includes a belt, a pad member, a pressure member, a heating roller, a stretching roller, and, an outer stretching roller. The outer stretching roller disposed between the heating roller and the stretching roller and configured to press the heating roller from an outer surface of the belt and bring the belt into contact with the heating roller. In a cross section orthogonal to a rotation axis of the pressure member, a surface between the heating roller and the stretching roller of the belt in a state where the belt is pushed toward the heating roller by the outer stretching roller is located inside that of the belt in a state where the outer stretching roller is removed.

Abstract: A gas detector comprises a metal oxide semiconductor gas sensor whose resistance decreases in reducing gases and a digital information processing device that treats the output of the gas sensor and compares the output with a comparison value for gas detection. The digital information processing device extracts data representing the resistance of the gas sensor in air from the output of the gas sensor and generates the comparison value such that the larger the resistance of the gas sensor in air is, the larger the ratio between the resistance of the gas sensor in air and a resistance value corresponding to the comparison value is.

Abstract: Provided are embodiments for a computer-implemented method, system, and device for tracking multiphase flow in a microfluidic device. Embodiments include receiving first readings from a first sensor of the microfluidic device, the first reading representing a detection of a fluid at an interface between the fluid and the first sensor, and receiving second readings from a second sensor of the microfluidic device, the second readings representing a detection of the fluid at an interface between the fluid and the second sensor, wherein the first sensor is located at a distance from the second sensor. Embodiments also include calculating a flow speed of the fluid in the microfluidic device based at least in part on a difference of time between the detections by the first sensor and the second sensor, and the distance between the first sensor and the second sensor.

Abstract: A predictive maintenance system for an irrigation system includes one or more sensors configured to generate a signal indicative of abnormal operation within the irrigation system, the sensors electrically coupled to a drive system, a processor, and a memory. The memory includes instructions stored thereon, which when executed by the processor cause the predictive maintenance system to receive the generated signal, determine abnormal operation of the drive system based on the generated signal, and predict, by a machine learning model, a maintenance requirement of the drive system based on the determined abnormal operation.

Abstract: The present teaching relates to method and system for an assembly for protecting a sensor. The assembly includes a first structure having a rectangular prism and connected with a truncated tube, wherein the rectangular prism and the truncated tube have parallel longitudinal axes and the tube is truncated to yield a cross section having a norm that forms an angle with the longitudinal axis of the truncated tube and a second structure of a trapezoid prism having a longitudinal axis parallel to the longitudinal axes and with the first structure embedded therein. The second structure has a slanted surface in the front that meets the cross section of the truncated tube and has the norm of the cross section.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of deriving significant factors of rheological properties, which influence folding stability for developing an adhesive with excellent folding stability, and predicting folding stability through the same. It is possible to select an adhesive with excellent folding stability by measuring initial stress and a strain recovery rate as the significant factors, and measuring predicted folding stability (predicted number of times of folding) therefrom.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a structure evaluation system according to an embodiment includes a plurality of sensors, a position locator, and an evaluator. The plurality of sensors detect elastic waves. The position locator locates positions of elastic wave sources by using the elastic waves among the plurality of elastic waves respectively detected by the plurality of sensors having an amplitude exceeding a threshold value determined according to positions of the sources of the plurality of elastic waves and the positions of the plurality of disposed sensors. The evaluator evaluates a deteriorated state of the structure on the basis of results of the position locating of the elastic wave sources which is performed by the position locator.

Abstract: Method for determining the geometry of multiple defects in a magnetizable object using a reference data record of the object, comprising determining an initial defect geometry as starting defect geometry, determining a first MFL prediction data record as starting prediction data record on the basis of the starting defect geometry, and iteratively adapting the starting defect geometry to the geometry of the real defect(s) by means of the EDP unit and by means of multiple expert routines (11) running in competition and preferably in parallel with one another.

Abstract: A method and system for rotating a vector, including at least one lookup table (LUT) including data corresponding to the vector being rotated around a first angle and a second angle, processing circuitry configured for accessing the at least one LUT for incrementally rotating the vector around the first and second angles, where accessing includes identifying an LUT input entry and selecting a corresponding LUT output entry, the corresponding output entry including an incremental angular rotation (IAR) of the vector around the first angle or the second angle, and a comparator configured to generate a comparator signal based upon comparing a counter incremented by the IAR with the first angle or the second angle, the processing circuitry further configured to iteratively access the at least one LUT, based on the comparator signal, for completing the incremental rotation of the vector around the first angle and the second angle.

Abstract: A controller for controlling an operation of a system is disclosed. The controller receives an input signal indicative of the operation of the system and rotates a test signal multiple times with different circular shifts to produce different rotations of the test signal forming a matrix data structure with the input signal. The input signal and the test signal are time-series data having values monotonically measured over time. The controller is further configured to apply a sliding three-dimensional (3D) window method to the matrix data structure to produce statistics of the input signal with respect to the rotations of the test signal. The sliding 3D window method iteratively moves window over the matrix data structure to compute a value of the statistics for a segment of the matrix data structure within the window. Furthermore, the controller controls the operation of the system according to the statistics of the input signal.